Residence title and visa D for Austria from Vietnam

If you want to come to Austria as a student for a stay of up to six months, you can apply for a visa C or visa D at the competent Austrian representative authority in your country of residence. A visa D is for stays from 91 days up to six months and is valid for Austria; it can also allow short travel in other Schengen states. 3

For longer stays, some residence titles can be applied for at an Austrian embassy or consulate in the applicant’s home country or country of residence, and in some cases the application can also be made in Austria after lawful entry and during lawful stay. 12

Who needs this

• Students planning a stay in Austria of 91 days to six months apply for a visa D before entry. 3
• People applying for a Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte or Blaue Karte EU can apply at the Austrian representative authority in their home country or country of residence. 1
• A Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte is for qualified workers from third countries, and a Blaue Karte EU is a combined residence and work permit for a specific employer. 1
• A visa D does not give the right to work; for paid or unpaid work, a special visa with the addition "Erwerb" is needed. 3

Step by step

1. Check which permit fits your planned stay and purpose. A visa D can be issued for 91 days up to six months. 3
2. Prepare the documents listed for your permit. For visa D, the checklist includes the signed application form, passport, photo, university admission or acceptance confirmation, proof of funds, accommodation proof, health insurance, travel reservation, and proof of ties to your home country. 3
3. Apply in person at the competent Austrian representative authority before entering Austria. 3
4. For residence titles such as Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte or Blaue Karte EU, apply in person at the Austrian mission abroad or, after lawful entry and during lawful stay, at the competent residence authority in Austria. 1
5. For a Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte, you also need a job offer from an employer. 1
6. If you are in Austria on a visa and the visa expires before the residence-title procedure ends, you may wait in Austria for the outcome only if you personally submitted the application in Austria. 1

Documents

• Valid travel document. For visa D, the document must be valid for at least three months after departure from the Schengen area, have at least two pages, and have been issued within the previous ten years. 3
• Passport photo according to ICAO criteria for visa D. 3
• Admission letter or acceptance confirmation from the Austrian higher education institution for visa D. 3
• Proof of sufficient funds; for visa D this can be a savings book or bank account in the applicant’s name that can be accessed from Austria, or a commitment statement (Verpflichtungserklärung), electronic commitment statement (EVE), traveller’s cheques, or a scholarship confirmation. 3
• Accommodation proof for visa D. 3
• Health insurance for the planned stay; for visa D it must cover at least EUR 30,000 and include return and rescue transport costs. 3
• For residence titles generally, you need a valid travel document, a recent photo, health insurance, and proof of accommodation unless the title is exempt. 2
• For Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte and Blaue Karte EU, proof of secured livelihood is not required. 2
• Documents not issued in German or English must be translated, and documents from an EU/EWR country or Switzerland are exempt from all certification requirements. 4

Cost and time

• The OeAD states that student visa C or visa D applications are fee-free when submitted at the competent Austrian representative authority in the country of residence. 3
• The processing time for a Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte application is about 8 weeks, depending on the completeness of the application and the authorities’ resources. 1
• For visa D, the OeAD advises applying at least four weeks before entry; an application can be submitted up to six months before the planned travel date and no later than 15 calendar days before the planned stay. 3

Deadlines

• If you do not find a job within six months on an Arbeitsuche-Visum, you must leave Austria, and a new Arbeitsuche-Visum can only be issued again after 12 months. 1
• After entering Austria with visa D, you must register with the registration authority at your place of residence within three working days, unless you stay for a maximum of two months in accommodation such as a hotel, guesthouse, campsite, private room, or AirBnB. 3
• As a third-country student in Austria, you can obtain an employment permit for up to 20 weekly hours without a labour market test; the employer must apply for it at the AMS. 1